Systems and methods for capping

Abstract

A pharmaceutical order filling system uses a physical parameter that occurs during attaching cap to a pharmaceutical container to determine if the cap is properly engaged. The physical parameter may be torque on the cap when placed on the container. An order processing device receives a pharmaceutical order and sends the order to a dispensing device that fills the container with a pharmaceutical in the pharmaceutical order. A cap device is configured to apply the cap the container containing the pharmaceutical from the dispensing device, wherein the cap device is configured to sense the physical parameter, e.g., torque, to the cap when applying the cap to the container.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An order filling system comprising:
 an order processing device configured to electronically receive from a prescriber device an order for countable items, wherein the order processing device matches the order with a patient preference type of a content securing apparatus used to secure contents in a container with the patient preference type being loaded from a member data record stored electronically in a database and loads the patient preference type into an electronic order record, and the order filling system is configured to apply different types of content securing apparatus to the container using different application forces that correspond to the different types of content securing apparatus; 
 a dispensing device operatively coupled to the order processing device, the dispensing device to fill the container with the items in the electronic order record; 
 a preference controller operably connected to the order processing device to select one of a first content securing apparatus or a second content securing apparatus based on the patient preference type in the order record, wherein the first content securing apparatus is a first type of content securing apparatus and the second content securing apparatus is a different, second type of content securing apparatus, and the first type of content securing apparatus corresponds to a first application force and the second type of content securing apparatus corresponds to a different, second application force; 
 a first content securing device operably connected to the preference controller to apply the first content securing apparatus to the container containing the items from the dispensing device with the first content securing apparatus is selected, wherein the first content securing device is configured to sense a first applied torque to the content securing apparatus when applying the first content securing apparatus to the container to verify application of the first application force; and 
 a second content securing device operably connected to the preference controller to apply the second content securing apparatus to the container containing the items from the dispensing device when the second content securing apparatus is selected alternatively from the first content securing device based on instruction from the preference controller, wherein the second content securing device is configured to sense a second applied torque to the second content securing apparatus when applying the second content securing apparatus to the container to verify application of the second application force. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first content securing device is configured to apply torque to apply the first content securing apparatus to the container, and to stop applying torque when the applied torque achieves the first applied torque; and 
 the second content securing device is configured to apply torque to applying the second content securing apparatus to the container, and to stop applying torque when the applied torque achieves the second applied torque. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system includes more than one first content securing device, each configured to operate independent of each other. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first content securing apparatus includes a child-resistant cap, and the second content securing apparatus does not include the child-resistant cap. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the order filling system is configured to secure contents in containers grouped to move in lines and grouped into rows of containers across the lines, and the first content securing apparatus and the second content securing apparatus to operate on containers in a same one of the rows. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first content securing device is to apply the first content securing apparatus to one or more containers in the same one of the rows, and then the second content securing apparatus to apply the second content securing apparatus to one or more other containers in the same one of the rows. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an inspection station to determine whether the first content securing apparatus or the second content securing apparatus is mechanically engaged on the container. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first content securing device is configured to sense a travel distance of the first content securing apparatus when applying the first content securing apparatus to the container. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the second content securing apparatus device is configured to sense a travel distance of the second content securing apparatus when applying the second content securing apparatus to the container. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an inspection station to determine the first content securing apparatus is properly engaged on the container after first content securing device determines that travel for the first content securing apparatus during applying the first content securing apparatus is within a prescribed range of travel for the first content securing apparatus. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an inspection station to determine the second content securing apparatus is properly engaged on the container after the second content securing device determines that travel for the second content securing apparatus during applying the second content securing apparatus is within a prescribed range of travel for the second content securing apparatus. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the inspection station is to determine that the second content securing apparatus is not properly engaged on the container after the second content securing device determines that the travel for the content securing apparatus during applying the content securing apparatus is outside a range of travel. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the second content securing device is to remove the second content securing apparatus from the container when the travel for the second content securing apparatus during applying the content securing apparatus is outside the range of travel. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one gripping assembly configured to hold the container against rotation when the first content securing apparatus is applied to the container. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dispensing device is to flag the container when verified that the first content securing device used a first application force to apply the first content securing apparatus to the container. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the dispensing device is to release the flagged container for delivery to a patient. 
     
     
       17. An order filling system comprising:
 an order processing device configured to electronically receive from a prescriber device an order for countable items, wherein the order processing device matches the order with a patient preference type of a content securing apparatus used to secure contents in a container with the patient preference type being loaded from a member data record stored electronically in a database and loads the patient preference type into an electronic order record, and the order filling system is configured to apply different types of content securing apparatus to the container using different application forces that correspond to the different types of content securing apparatus; 
 a dispensing device operatively coupled to the order processing device, the dispensing device to fill the container with the items in the electronic order record; 
 a preference controller operably connected to the order processing device to select one of a first content securing apparatus or a second content securing apparatus based on the patient preference type in the order record, wherein the first content securing apparatus is a first type of content securing apparatus and the second content securing apparatus is a different, second type of content securing apparatus, and the first type of content securing apparatus corresponds to a first application force and the second type of content securing apparatus corresponds to a different, second application force; 
 a first content securing device operably connected to the preference controller to apply the first content securing apparatus to the container containing the items from the dispensing device with the first content securing apparatus is selected, wherein the first content securing device is configured to sense a first applied torque to the content securing apparatus when applying the first content securing apparatus to the container to verify application of the first application force; and 
 a second content securing device operably connected to the preference controller to apply the second content securing apparatus to the container containing the items from the dispensing device when the second content securing apparatus is selected alternatively from the first content securing device based on instruction from the preference controller, wherein the second content securing device is configured to sense a second applied torque to the second content securing apparatus when applying the second content securing apparatus to the container to verify application of the second application force, 
 wherein the first content securing device is to determine when the first applied torque is outside a first acceptable torque range, and the first content securing device is configured to remove the first content securing apparatus from the container when the first applied torque is outside the first acceptable torque range. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the second content securing device is to determine when the second applied torque is outside a second acceptable torque range, and the second content securing device is configured to remove the second content securing apparatus from the container when the second applied torque is outside the second acceptable torque range. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first content securing device attempts to reapply the first content securing apparatus device to the container. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the first content securing device is configured to again remove the first content securing apparatus from the container when the first applied torque is again outside the first acceptable torque range.